1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the drilling and extraction of oil, natural gas, and other resources, and more particularly to evaluation and selection of drilling fluids.
2. Description of the Related Art
Oil, gas, and other natural resources are used for numerous energy and material purposes. The search for extraction of oil, natural gas, and other subterranean resources from the earth may cost significant amounts of time and money. Once a resource is located, drilling systems may be used to access the resources, such as by drilling into various geological formations to access deposits of such resources. The drilling systems rely on numerous components and operational techniques to reduce cost and time and maximize effectiveness. For example, drill strings, drill bits, drilling fluids, and other components may be selected to achieve maximum effectiveness for a formation and other parameters that affect the drilling system. Typically, many years of field experience and laboratory work are used to develop and select the appropriate components for a drilling system. However, these techniques may be time-consuming and expensive. Moreover, such techniques may produce inconsistent results and may not incorporate recent changes in practices and opinions regarding the drilling systems.